Monday Morning Cheerleader: Cat of the Eagles

The view from the sidelines at a wild Eagles-Ravens game in an even wilder Week Two

If you're not one for surprises, it may take a while to process Sunday's events in the NFL. But take comfort in knowing that everyone on the Patriots, Saints, Ravens, and Vikings are feeling similarly stunned. It was a weird week, Week Two was, with Cam Newton and Andrew Luck continuing to ascend to superstardom (RG3, too, though a penalty doomed the Skins), and with, I mean, the Patriots losing to the Cardinals. But all not completely unsettled in this league, with the Niners rolling on Sunday Night Football, and Eli Manning throwing for 500 yards. Here to sort out an afternoon full of surprises in Philly is Cat, an Eagles cheerleader and fitness coach with a sideline look at Sunday's best game, a wild 24-23 win over the Ravens.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

LINDSAY McCORMICK, The Esquire.com: So you guys are 2-0, in what was quite dramatic fashion just now.

CAT, The Eagles: That was amazing! I thought I was going to have a heart attack on the sidelines. Anything this early in the season you have to take with a grain of salt, but it's exciting that we won, because the last two seasons, the teams that defeated us in our home opener made it into the Super Bowl. I think it's safe to say that anyone who is truly into sports is superstitious, and let's hope when you look into the Super Bowl crystal ball it says we are going to earn our spot there from this.

Most Popular

LM: Joe Flacco came out and said before the season, "I don't think I'm top five, I think I'm the best." After watching him today, are you buying that?

CAT: The Ravens' no-huddle offense was turning heads throughout the NFL before this game, but I also think they needed that, because the offense and Joe Flacco looked a little stagnant the past few seasons. He was impressive in last week's game, but not so much on Sunday. That speed clearly wasn't what they needed. By the end of the game it seemed like they needed all the time they could get.

LM: But the Ravens were really providing a challenge for your safeties tonight.

CAT: The no-huddle did throw our guys off at first, and they aren't usually stifled. But they did get it together really fast and had a great game. DeMeco Ryans with that sack in the third quarter? It was terrifying. I would never want that to happen to me!

LM: It's no secret that Vick has had an interception issue this season. What's going on?

CAT: Our offense started off really strong in the first five minutes, and Vick made some amazing plays, including the pass to DeSean Jackson in the third quarter — I will never get tired of watching that replay — and did a good job of staying in the pocket, which is a good precursor for the rest of the season. Now we know that he knows that he doesn't have to take so many risks and he can let the offensive line protect him, but even looking back on last week's game, it got so much better this week. This early in the season, you're still learning.

LM: Fourth quarter, you're down by six, the refs call a fumble on the field, and then overturn it, which could have potentially cost you guys the game. What do you think about these replacement refs?

CAT: The whole stadium was silent during that play. I think they made the right call after seeing the recap, and of course all the fans were happy. The players — not just the Eagles, but the entire league — has to be careful not to put the refs in a position to make those type of make-or-break calls.

LM: What's it like seeing this kind of rollercoaster of a game up close and personal?

CAT: We were neck-and-neck the entire game, and Philly fans have the power to make or break the visiting team's offense, because sometimes they can't hear in the huddle. That's why we saw the Ravens gather around like they were holding a conference, because they couldn't hear each other. I don't think the fans realize the power they have.

LM: It looked like Ron Artest was out there with all the scuffling.

CAT: More so in the first half. Since we both had wins in Week One, the tension was high, but once we were able to get into a groove, we were able to have a clean second half for the most part.

LM: Ray Rice had a lot to say in the locker room after the game. What comes to your mind when you hear his name?

CAT: He's a good player by anyone's standards. Like anyone, he has his positives and negatives, but I don't think he's anyone for us to be scared of.

LM: Next week you guys play the Cardinals, who just beat Tom Brady and Co. in Foxborough.

CAT: Their confidence will be up, but we'll be ready. The Eagles aren't a team that's going to dwell on a win — they just have to go in like it's a blank slate. I don't think it will make the team nervous. Not by any means.

Lindsay McCormick (pictured at left) has covered the NFL for ESPN The Magazine and CBS. She is the former host of "The Fan" on Comcast SportsNet, where she was the sideline reporter for the Portland Trail Blazers. And she'll be back right here on The Culture Blog every week with Monday Morning Cheerleader. Stay tuned for more from Tom Chiarella on Monday Night Football, Jeremy Schaap and Rachel Nichols on the little big profile (this week: Victor Cruz), and more. Also: beer.